How I spent my day

One of the things that people have repeatedly reminded us about here is that you have to be patient with every aspect of life. You won't be able to get nearly as much done in a day as you did in your former life and you shouldn't try. Just go with the flow.

Lord knows I'm not the most productive person, even on my best days :-) but Friday I figured with a plan, I'd check off a bunch of "must-dos" on my list, namely--

Buy butter, bread, milk, coffee, and some more fruit/veggies
Pay the electric bill
Pay the water bill
Order a couch
Meet with church officials about cars/residence permits (update only)
Rent a post office box
Mark also had to have a work contract approved by the general secretary

So here's how it went:

I took the kids to school--left around 7:25 and got back home around 8:45
Ate breakfast and answered a couple emails
Called the guy who makes couches (again) but no answer
Mark and I head into town around 9:30--I get dropped off at the post office

At the post office--I wait in line. Get to the front. Ask for a post office box. Am told to stand "over there". Go "over there". Wait. Tell another person I need a post office box. She tells me anyone who opens the box must fill out a form and submit two photos each. Ask to take forms with me because I don't have photos. Explain that it's more efficient to bring back completed forms than it is to fill them out here. Leave the post office (after finding out it closes at 1pm) to walk up to the water office.

Water office--Meet Mark driving away. The meter was read last week, but they don't have the information in the office yet. Pay the balance that is on the accounts (about $1.50) and will just wait til the end of the month to check again.

TOTAL TIME: 50 minutes

Electric office--Mark gets in line. I go two blocks over to buy a bootleg DVD for $8.00 (includes 5 movies). Then go to the bakery to buy bread. Meet Mark on the street. The meter was read last week, but they don't have the information in the office yet. Pay the balance that is on the accounts (about $14.00) and will just wait til the end of the month to check again.

TOTAL TIME: 45 minutes

Mark needs to meet the general secretary at 11:30. He decides to head in at 11:10 to see if he can catch him in--then we'll meet at a cafe for early lunch. General secretary is not in--we meet to get pics taken and then for lunch.

LUNCH--Mark orders 1 crepe with jam. Takes 45 minutes to get the food and another 14 minutes to get the bill. I got my samosas (cold) and my soda (warm) in 5 minutes.

General secretary calls--where's Mark? Go over to office. They review contract, I wait. They decide to meet again at 2:00 with shipping agent. It's 1:00. I need to leave at 1:30 to get kids at school. Decide to go to grocery to get bread/milk/coffee. Grocery store is closed. Remember that everything closes around 1:00 until 2 or 2:30. Run to computer store to check price of printers. Stop at little duka to get hooks to hang mosquito nets and fabric for a blanket.

Drop Mark off at shipping office and head out to school to get kids. Agree to pick Mark up when I come back through town. Stop at Shoprite after I get kids to get milk/bread/coffee. Fruit/veggies are outrageous there. Call Mark to see if he's done. They've just started (2:45). It's raining on and off so I agree to stay in town to give Mark a ride home. Take kids for milkshakes an then to bookstore to wait for Mark. Mark shows up. Leave town at 4:15.

So, never got any furniture ordered. Never got to the market to get fruits/veggies. Found out how to get a po box and pay bills, but will spend probably an hour on Monday actually paying for it. Will spend at least 2 hours shopping for food for the week. Wonder how to keep kids occupied for the 3 week break coming up. Wonder how to get anything done efficiently. Wonder if we get two cars will we be more efficient. Wonder if there is word for "efficient" in Swahili.